<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 09/30/95
000 C000000 0000830622
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 PUTNAM MASTER INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
001 B000000 811-5498
001 C000000 6172921562
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGMENT INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
020 A000001 TIEDEMANN INT'L SERVICES INC.
020 B000001 13-3506065
020 C000001 10
020 A000002 PERSHING & CO.
020 B000002 15-1163076
020 C000002 3
020 A000003 ROYAL ALLIANCE ASSOCIATES, INC.
020 B000003 93-0987232
020 C000003 2
020 A000004 PAINWEBBER INC.
020 B000004 13-2638166
020 C000004 2
020 A000005 KEDGLER MORGAN
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 C000005 2
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 21
022 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000001 13-2518466
022 C000001 1264771
022 D000001 104134
022 A000002 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURIITES INC.
022 B000002 13-3224016
022 C000002 730058
022 D000002 39690
022 A000003 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000003 13-5108880
022 C000003 408685
022 D000003 105281
022 A000004 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
022 B000004 13-3082694
022 C000004 116629
022 D000004 119078
022 A000005 GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKET
022 B000005 13-3172275
022 C000005 102842
022 D000005 80686
022 A000006 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000006 13-2655998
022 C000006 127169
022 D000006 29991
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000007 13-5674085
022 C000007 33412
022 D000007 30407
022 A000008 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000008 13-2741729
022 C000008 28475
022 D000008 34519
022 A000009 PAINWEBBER INC.
022 B000009 13-2638166
022 C000009 27385
022 D000009 21857
022 A000010 BEAR STERNS & CO.
022 B000010 13-4946705
022 C000010 16729
022 D000010 23693
023 C000000 3016639
023 D000000 729558
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 2.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.4
062 M000000 16.5
062 N000000 24.7
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 34.4
062 Q000000 27.9
062 R000000 0.0
071 A000000 676318
071 B000000 662418
071 C000000 301605
071 D000000 220
072 A000000 12
074 N000000 389246
074 T000000 326735
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 317175
077 A000000 Y
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 500000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 94
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCAVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM Putnam Master Intermediate Income Trust AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS
ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> SEP-30-95
<PERIOD-END> SEP-30-95
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 344,758,687
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 346,240,132
<RECEIVABLES> 41,800,586
<ASSETS-OTHER> 1,205,077
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 389,245,795
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 35,959,726
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 26,551,412
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 62,511,138
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 359,297,889
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 38,995,338
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 39,005,338
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (2,958,512)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (30,623,661)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 1,018,941
<NET-ASSETS> 326,734,657
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 248,579
<INTEREST-INCOME> 28,925,549
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3,048,759
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 26,125,369
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (8,566,768)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 16,501,196
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 34,059,797
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (19,003,541)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> (5,547,437)
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (10,000)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 9,438,819
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (9,020,787)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (21,377,798)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2,378,222
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,256,205
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 317,175,153
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 8.13
<PER-SHARE-NII> .67
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .21
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.49)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> (.14)
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 8.38
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.03
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
0
??
</TABLE>
